London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
London County Council 1934
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London County Council]
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75
The results of treatment were as follows :—
Cases cloved.
Adjusted or completed 76
Partially adjusted 5
Unadjusted 4
Placed 1
Cases still under treatment.
Full service 57
Special service 42
Diagnostic service 4
Unallocated 2
Total 191
Dr. Emanuel Miller, director of the East London clinic, which was established
in 1927 by the Jewish Health Organisation of Great Britain, reports that during
1934, there has been a very large increase in the number of cases referred to the
clinic through the school services, especially in regard to educational backwardness
and reading disabilities.
East London
clinic.
He also mentions that play-room work has been further developed on systematic
lines with the help of research students from the Institute of Education.
During 1934, there were 178 new cases referred to the clinic from the schools
and these, together with cases in hand at the beginning of the year, total 269 school
children dealt with during the year. Of these, 177 were boys and 92 girls. The
age distribution was: under 5 years, 7; 5 to 8 years, 61; 8 to 11 years, 91; 11
to 14 years, 92; and over 14 years, 18.
The following tables show the sources of reference of the cases during 1934, and the reasons for reference :—
| Source of reference. | Reasons for reference. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| School doctors ............ | 109 | Theft, pilfering | 28 |
| Head teachers ... ... ...... | 18 | Nervousness, excitability | 66 |
| School care committees ... | 25 | Backwardness | 36 |
| Hospitals and clinics | 31 | Enuresis | 16 |
| Parents and friends | 26 | Beyond control | 23 |
| General practitioners | 9 | Unmanageable at school | 12 |
| Probation officer and children's courts | 29 | Aggressive, spiteful | 15 |
| Other agencies | 22 | Night terrors, sleep walking | 11 |
| - | Stammer | 10 | |
| Total ... | 269 | Other speech defects | 10 |
| - | Temper tantrums | 4 | |
| Lack of appetite | 1 | ||
| Headaches | 1 | ||
| Habit spasm | 8 | ||
| Truancy | 9 | ||
| Wandering | 5 | ||
| Solitariness | 2 | ||
| Masturbation, sex difficulties | 2 | ||
| Reading disability | 1 | ||
| Inability to keep job | 4 | ||
| Depression | 3 | ||
| Faecal incontinence | 2 | ||
| Total | 269 |
An analysis of the results of treatment shows:—
Discharged, cases.
Satisfactorily adjusted 78
Partially adjusted 28
Unsuitable or unadjusted 43*
Advice only 14
Still under treatment.
Progress satisfactory 32
No change 11
Too early to report 18
Failed to attend 16
Awaiting appointments at end of year 29
Total 269
*Including 19 cases which were found to be border line or mentally defective.